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Politics is concerned with citizenship and the administration of justice--how communities are formed and governed. The role of Christians in the political process is hotly contested, but as citizens, Francis Beckwith argues, Christians have a rich heritage of sophisticated thought, as well as a genuine responsibility, to contribute to the shaping of public policy. In particular, Beckwith addresses the contention that Christians, or indeed religious citizens of any faith, should set aside their beliefs before they enter the public square. What role should religious citizens take in a liberal democracy? What is the proper separation of church and state? What place should be made for natural rights and the moral law within a secular state? This cogent introduction to political thought surveys political science, politics and government while making the case for how statecraft may genuinely contribute to soulcraft. Politics for Christians is part of The Christian Worldview Integration Series.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Beckwith's book, Politics for Christians is most definitely helpful for those who want a solid introduction to politics and who are ready to ponder the believer's place in the rough and tumble work of statecraft." (Scot McKnight, Jesus Creed, August 2010)

About the Author

Francis J. Beckwith (PhD, Fordham University) is professor of philosophy and church-state studies at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he is also a fellow and faculty associate in the Institute for Studies of Religion. He was the 2008-2009 Mary Ann Remick Senior Visiting Fellow in the Notre Dame Center for Ethics & Culture and was a 2002-2003 Madison Research Fellow in Politics at Princeton University, where he has served since 2003 as a member of the James Madison Society. Beckwith is the author of numerous books such as Return to Rome: Confessions of an Evangelical Catholic; Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice; Law, Darwinism & Public Education: The Establishment Clause and the Challenge of Intelligent Design and Do the Right Thing: Readings in Applied Ethics and Social Philosophy. His articles have been published in a number of academic journals across a variety of disciplines, including Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, International Philosophical Quarterly, Public Affairs Quarterly, Social Theory & Practice, American Journal of Jurisprudence, Journal of Medical Ethics, San Diego Law Review, Nevada Law Journal, Journal of Social Philosophy, Philosophia Christi and Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy. Beckwith has been a speaker for numerous Christian ministries (both Protestant and Catholic) throughout his career, including Summit Ministries and the Catholic Apologetics Academy, where he has served on their faculties since 1996 and 2013 respectively. He and his wife, Frankie, live in Woodway, Texas.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Beckwith describes his book as an introduction to politics - an introduction that should inspire continued study for the Christian. Beckwith looks at politics through the lense of liberal democracy. Although Liberal Democracy has been absent for most of Christian History, it has been embraced enthusiastically by Christians in the modern era for four major reasons: (1) it affords Christians the liberty to worship, (2) it protects the people's power to hold the government accountable, (3) it allows citizens to participate by voting, forming political parties, running for office and / or campaigning for causes and candidates, (4) it seems consistent with and supported by a Christian understanding of the human person as well as the natural law and natural rights tradition that spring from that understanding.

In other words, liberal democracy seems to enhance many of the ideals the Christian faith does.

Beckwith takes care to define liberal democracy, liberal referring to the liberties or freedoms the government is supposed to guarantee, and democracy covering both a government that is accountable to the people, and has a developed civil society.

The question Beckwith seeks to answer is what does it mean to be a Christian citizen in a liberal democracy, and how should we interact with politics in relation to our faith. Beckwith's plea is not necessarily that ALL Christians should become involved politically, but that ALL Christians should be politically AWARE. They should understand the effects of legislation that is passed by governments and make measured responses to any injustice or hindrance such legislation may make, especially upon the gospel.Read more ›

Politics has always been something that I never really took an interest in. But since bioethics, one of my main interests, is often intertwined with political and jurisprudential issues, I figured that it was about time that I started studying it. Until recently, my main source of political knowledge came from television news stations such as CNN, Fox, and NBC. I happened to stumble upon Francis Beckwith's new book while searching for an introduction to politics from a Christian perspective.

As it turns out, politics is a general term that covers a large number of various sub-disciplines. These include political theory (The study of the nature of government), comparative politics (The study of other political systems), political economy (The study of how politics and the economy relate to each other), and public law (The study of how different entities relate to each other). Chapter one deals with these various divisions within politics.

In the following chapters, Beckwith covers the relationship between the Christian citizen and liberal democracy. In Matthew 22, Jesus instructed that because the image of Caesar was present on the coin presented to him, we have a duty to obey earthly governments. To disobey government, which is an institution established by God, thus equates to disobeying God himself. Implicit in this, however, is the other realization that because the image of God is present on us that we also have a duty to obey God. Thus, while Christians are subject to government authority, it is permissible in certain circumstances to disobey governments which are at conflict with Biblical values.

Beckwith also correctly notes that in some situations, it is permissible to support non-Christian candidates for political office (Mitt Romney, for example).Read more ›

It has been stated often, in fact so often that it seems like a truism now, that one should not discuss religion and politics in a polite society. Or something to that effect. Each one of those two topics is known to rise a lot of passion and conviction, to the point that any form of good-faith exchange of respectful opinions is automatically precluded. In that context discussing religiously-inspired politics or the politics of religion would seem to be topics particularly froth with a potential for conflict. However, insofar as we want our political arrangements to reflect some higher ideals and not be just a least possible evil arrived at through opportunistic machinations, we owe it to ourselves and everyone else who depends on our judgements to be thoroughly informed about the internal consistency and integrity of those ideals. Chief among these ideals are those that derive from the religious convictions. This book is written for Christians, primarily in the United States, who take their religion seriously and who want to be thoughtful participants in the political process as well as faithful to their own Christian convictions.

Every few years, especially in the election years, there are many books that aim to inform Christians about their duty and responsibility in the exercise of their civic duties. Most of these books are well written and give the potential voters a good overview of some key issues of relevance to Christians and what an appropriate Christian attitude towards them ought to be. Francis Beckwith "Politics for Christians" aims to go deeper than any other book in this genre that I had read. Beckwith is a professor of philosophy and church-state studies at Baylor University, and holds a graduate degree in Law.Read more ›